1861

About this book

Before the first shots at Fort Sumter, before the great battles and the famous generals, there was a year in which America woke up to what it was about to become. In 1861: The Civil War Awakening, historian Adam Goodheart explores the months that transformed a divided republic and set the nation on the road to war and, ultimately, to emancipation. The book opens in Charleston Harbor in December 1860, where Major Robert Anderson, an unassuming officer, is handed one of the most delicate assignments in American history: to hold the federal forts without provoking a conflict that could tear the country apart. From there, the narrative moves across the continent, from the cities of the North to the borderlands and the frontier, following the lives of statesmen, soldiers, abolitionists, immigrants and ordinary citizens caught up in the crisis. Vividly written and built on a rich range of letters, diaries and contemporary accounts, this narrative history shows how the events of a single year changed the meaning of liberty, union and citizenship. Around 200,000 words in 26 chapters, it is ideal for readers of American history, Civil War enthusiasts and anyone curious about how the nation was remade. Start reading 1861 online instantly in your browser, right after purchase.

Author

Adam Goodheart

Length

~749 pages

Reading time

14 h 55 min

Chapters

26

Released

November 11, 2026

Languages

🇬🇧 EN · 🇵🇱 PL · 🇩🇪 DE · 🇫🇷 FR · 🇪🇸 ES · 🇮🇹 IT · 🇧🇷 PT-BR · 🇲🇽 ES-MX · 🇵🇹 PT · 🇺🇦 UK · 🇨🇿 CS · 🇸🇰 SK · 🇬🇷 EL · 🇭🇺 HU · 🇹🇷 TR · 🇳🇱 NL · 🇷🇴 RO · 🇧🇬 BG · 🇭🇷 HR · 🇷🇸 SR · 🇸🇮 SL · 🇱🇹 LT · 🇱🇻 LV · 🇪🇪 ET · 🇸🇪 SV · 🇩🇰 DA · 🇳🇴 NB · 🇫🇮 FI · 🇯🇵 JA · 🇰🇷 KO · 🇨🇳 ZH · 🇹🇼 ZH-TW · 🇮🇩 ID · 🇻🇳 VI · 🇹🇭 TH · 🇮🇳 HI · 🇸🇦 AR · 🇮🇱 HE

Formats

eBook

Print format

Paperback, 15.5 × 23.5 cm, 480 pages

ISBN

9780307596666

Age rating

Teen 13+